The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) has announced that the State’s first large-scale battery storage system at Kwinana is ready to charge and discharge energy into the grid.
This follows State Budget confirmation of an additional $3 billion allocation towards tackling climate change and future-proofing WA’s energy system.
Minister for Energy, Bill Johnston said the system, which involved more than 200 jobs in construction, would now undergo a series of charge and discharge tests before entering the network later this year.
“Battery energy storage systems absorb excess energy from rooftop solar when the sun is shining and release it in the evening, when demand is at its peak, playing a key role in delivering reliable energy to households and businesses,” Mr Johnston said.
“The Government has allocated $2.3 billion towards two new battery energy storage systems in the 2023-24 State Budget, including a second, larger system at the Kwinana site.”
He said the proposed big battery would provide 200 megawatts (MW) of capacity with 800 megawatt hours — four times the energy storage of Stage One.
“A further battery system will be developed in Collie, which will be one of the biggest battery systems in the world, providing around 500 MW for up to four hours,” Mr Johnston said.
“The second Kwinana big battery is expected to be operational by late 2024.”
He said the Battery Energy Storage Systems were crucial in managing household energy demand and supporting the uptake of residential solar.
“We are committed to delivering cleaner and more reliable power to help us reach our ambitious emissions-reduction targets,” the Minister said.
